Category Archives: Quad

Ex-cohost, BJCP judge and brewing consultant, Mark Naski has returned to Illinois after a trip via Kentucky and Florida, and brings us some interesting offerings from breweries he has visited. Joining him is the Yankee, Lingo, and Chuck Fort, brewer at Church Street, plus VIP guest Ken McMullen, head brewer at Hopvine Brewing in Aurora.

It’s a fun time with many excellent brews, one of which is a li’l bugger to get opened! And of course as Mark is here, you’ll learn about the styles and other fun brewing facts.

This is another show-n-tell edition, and this time Mark brings to the pub some bottles (and one can), that he collected during his recent road-trip. We are headed to Florida and Utah in this show and trying some higher ABV brews. Joining Mark and Phil this week is Chuck Fort, assistant brewer at Church Street Brewing in Itasca, and tavern owner John Karwoski from John’s Tavern in Winfield.
This will be Mark’s last regular show as he is heading up to the northwest, and Boise Idaho, where he will passing on his brewing expertise to the growing craft beer industry there.

We stay in Florida for our next beer, from NOBO Brewing, in N Boynton Beach. We have a crowler of their ​Coconut Chocolate Coffee Imperial Stout, 12% ABV.
And our final brew is a more traditional double IPA from Squatter’s Brewing in Salt Lake City, UT. These folks have been around since 1989, so are the oldest of our trio of breweries. We sample their Hop Rising DIPA, 9% ABV.

Our first show for 2017, and it’s out with some old beers and in with some new. Phil brings 3 local brews that are new (well at least 2 are), and Mark shows up with a couple of older bottles he picked up in 2016. We recorded this show at our local tavern, John’s in Winfield, so we could check out the new handheld digital recorder.

First up we have a classic Belgium Trappist beer, apparently fairly rare in the US. Then it’s back to Illinois for our next three, a robust porter from Algonquin’s Scorched Earth Brewery, and two barrel-aged first editions from Alter Brewing in Downer’s Grove, and Metal Monkey in Romeoville respectively.

We finish up with one of the most expensive beers we have tasted, a 2016 barrel-aged winter ale from Fremont Brewing.

They’re all good in their own way, and it’s a great start for the stout fellows’ 2017!